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INTRODUCTION The first idea of compiling information about the different districts of the Bombay Presidency, conceived as far back as 1843, was in the form of Statistical Accounts. The Collectors of the districts were called upon to collect fullest information about 'the state of the cross and other roads not under the superintendence of a separate department, the passes and ferries throughout the country, the streets in the principal towns and the extension and improvement of internal communication'. The Collectors were also desired to include in their Annual Reports observations on every point from which a knowledge of the actual condition of the country could be gathered. In this scheme there was obviously no place for any section on history. Later, in 1867, it was proposed to compile a Gazetteer of the Presidency on the model of the Gazetteer of the Central Provinces which had been prepared during that year So several new subjects were proposed to be included in the Gazetteer, of which history was one. The purpose was to give a new Collector a comprehensive and at the same time a distinct idea of the district which he had been sent to administer. To-day our notions about the Gazetteers have greatly changed. They are intended to serve not only the administrators but the entire nation. The people must have full information about inter alia the past history and culture of their country. So the subject of history has become an essential part of both the State and the District Gazetteers. In the last Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, which was completed in 1902, Volume I, Parts I and II were devoted to the history of the Presidency in all periods, ancient, mediaeval and modern. At that time Gujarat, Sindh and some Kanarese districts were included in the Bombay Presidency. Vol. I, Part I of that Gazetteer contained the Early History of Gujarat (B.C. 319-A.D. 1304), which was based on materials prepared by Pandit Bhagwanlal Indraji and completed by Mr. A.M.T. Jackson. Vol. I, Part II contained the following articles :— I. History of the Konkan by Rev. Alexander Kyd. Nairne. II. Early History of the Deccan down to Mahomadan Conquest by Prof. Ramkrishna Gopal Bhandarkar. III. The Dynasties of the Kanarese districts from the Earliest Historical Times to the Musalman Conquest by Dr. J. F. Fleet. This Volume was very highly prized. The Editor says in the Preface, "The general contributions on History in Vol. I. Parts I and II are among the valuable portions of the Gazetteer.". Tran DF sfo P rm Y e Y r B 2 B . 0
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The articles dealing with the ancient period, written as they were by eminent scholars like Bhagwanlal Indraji, R.G. Bhandarkar and J. F. Fleet, have always been regarded as authoritative. These Gazetteer Volumes, which were completed more than fifty years ago, have since become antiquated and the need was therefore felt to bring them up to date. In 1949 a Board was set up to undertake the work of revision and compilation of District Gazetteers. The Board then decided to prepare General Volumes covering the whole of the then Bombay State to be published along with the District Volumes. The General Volumes were to be on the following subjects :— (1) People. (2) Geography. (3) Public Administration. (4) Botany. (5) History. (6) Language and Literature. (7) Fauna. Of these, the History Volume was to be published in four parts viz., (1) Ancient Period, (2) Mediaeval Period, (3) Maratha Period and (4) Modern Period. For the purpose of the compilation of the Volume on the Ancient Period, a committee of the following scholars was appointed :— (1) Dr. H. D. Sankalia. (2) Dr. A. S. Altekar, and (3) Dr. S. C. Nandimath. Some chapters were written by them and some were assigned to other scholars. Later, in 1956, the States were reorganised. The Kanarese districts of the former Bombay State were transferred to the Mysore State. Subsequently, in 1960, Maharashtra and Gujarat too were bifurcated and Vidarbha was added to form Maharashtra comprising all Marathi-speaking districts. Consequently, the original scheme of the History Volume had to be greatly modified. Some chapters had to be omitted, some had to be added, while some others were required to be re-written. The present Volume on the history of the Ancient Period consists of eleven chapters as stated below :— 1. Pre-historic Cultures and Remains by Dr. H. D. Sankalia. 2. The Satavahana Empire and its Feudatories by the late Dr. A; S; Altekar. Tran DF sfo P rm Y e Y r B 2 B . 0
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3. The Successors of the Satavahanas in Maharashtra by Dr. V. V. Mirashi. 4. The Western Kshatrapas by the late Dr. A. S. Altekar. 5. Society, Religion and Culture (200 B.C. to 500 A.D.) by the late Dr. A. S. Altekar. 6. The Chalukyas of Badami by Shri N. Lakshminarayan Rao. 7. The Rashtrakuta Empire and its Feudatories by the late Dr. A. S. Altekar and Dr. V. V. Mirashi. 8. Shilaharas by Dr. V. V. Mirashi. 9. The Chalukyas and the Kalachuryas of Kalyani by Dr. S. L. Katare. 10. The Yadavas of Devagiri by the late Dr. A. S. Altekar. 11. Society, Religion and Culture (500 A.D. to 1200 A.D.) by Dr. M. D. Paradkar. It will be noticed that the present Volume is far more comprehensive than the corresponding portion of Vol. I of the earlier edition. It deals fully with the prehistoric culture of Maharashtra, its prehistory and proto-history, its arts and architecture, its ornaments and implements. Again the historical chapters in the earlier edition dealt only with political history, while the present Volume contains two chapters treating of society, religion and culture in the two broad periods in which the early history of Maharashtra can be divided. This is in keeping with the modern wider conception of history. Some of the chapters in the present Volume were written more than fifteen years ago. Since then there has been much advance in our knowledge of the ancient history of Maharashtra. All articles have therefore been thoroughly revised and the information in them has been brought up to date. The notes added by me have been distinguished by my initials. It is hoped that the present Volume will give a fuller and more authentic history of Maharashtra than before. It is a matter for regret that one of the contributors to the present Volume, Dr. A. S. Altekar, who wrote several chapters for it, passed away before it would be brought out. His death has been a serious loss to the cause of ancient Indian history.
V. V. MIRASHI. Nagpur : 15th January 1968: